Canadian-American film and television actress Stana Katic will not be returning as Kate Beckett on Castle for the ninth season, it has been confirmed. Tamala Jones, who played Beckett's best friend and medical examiner Lanie Parish on the ABC series, will not be returning as well.
"Kate Beckett has been a beloved character on our hit series Castle for the past 8 years. We are grateful for Stana Katic's talent and dedication to the series and we hope to continue our relationship. Tamala Jones has also been an integral part of the series and we are grateful she was a part of Castle," ABC said in a statement to Deadline.
Katic expressed her love for the cast of the crime show, but did not reveal the reason for quit. She said in a statement: "Rather then distract from what was an amazing experience, I would just like to say that I'm very grateful to ABC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of a much beloved show. Thank you to the fans."
Meanwhile, Jones also talked about her departure from the show. She said: "I've had so much fun playing the wonderful and unfiltered Lanie over the past eight seasons. I will greatly miss the cast and crew – it's been a privilege getting to work with this incredibly hard working group of people. Thank you to ABC for this opportunity and to the fans for their unwavering support. It's been an incredible journey and I can't wait for what lies ahead!"
